US2004258390A1PendingUtilityA1

Systems and methods for PVR real time distributed storage, playback, and archival of programs on a network

45
Priority: Jun 20, 2003Filed: Jun 20, 2003Published: Dec 23, 2004
Est. expiryJun 20, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Anthony M. Olson
H04N 5/765H04N 21/4334H04N 21/43615H04N 5/76H04N 21/4147H04N 21/43622
45
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

PVR devices are improved with the addition of network connectivity, including, ethernet, HPNA, wireless (e.g., 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g), and powerline, and the inclusion of a virtual storage management system (VSM). The VSM allows the user to setup either parts of hard disks in computer systems on the network and/or allows a user to setup specific entire hard disk drive(s) in computers on the network to be used as storage space for programs recorded using the user's PVR. The virtual storage manager is provided with logic capable of dividing up the storage of programs in real time, that is, to store blocks of the program in different hard disk drives physically located at different locations on the network.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system useful for storing a television program P, comprising: 
 a PVR having a first memory, a network interface device, and logic configured to copy the television program P into memory;    a second memory in communication with the PVR via the network interface device;    virtual storage management (VSM) logic configured to track the location of the second memory on the network, and to store a portion of the program P in the second memory.    
     
     
         2 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the VSM logic is configured to track the total amount of memory storage on the network that is available for storing at least a portion of a program.  
     
     
         3 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the VSM logic is configured to track the memory locations of a plurality of portions P(i) of the program P.  
     
     
         4 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the VSM logic is configured to perform at least one of: 
 (a) track which memory devices on the network are currently active in recording or playback;    (b) track which disks on the network are on-line and off-line;    (c) track the memory locations of previously stored programs;    (d) inform the user when a memory device holding at least a part of a program is off-line;    (e) request the user to bring on-line a memory device that is off-line;    (f) inform a user before the total available on-line memory runs out;    (g) allow the user to set a memory lower limit for the VSM logic to inform the user prior to running out of memory; and    (h) after informing the user of the memory lower limit condition, further provide the user of the option to erase previously stored programs in real time.    
     
     
         5 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an archival memory device in communication with the PVR; and    archival storage management (ASM) logic configured to store the program P on the archival memory device.    
     
     
         6 . A system in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the archival memory device comprises a DVD-R device.  
     
     
         7 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the first memory and the second memory each comprise a hard disk drive.  
     
     
         8 . A system useful for storing a television program P, comprising: 
 a PVR having a first memory, a network interface device, and means for copying the television program P into memory;    a second memory in communication with the PVR via the network interface device;    virtual storage management (VSM) means for tracking the location of the second memory on the network, and storing a portion of the program P in the second memory.    
     
     
         9 . A system in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the VSM means is for tracking the total amount of memory storage on the network that is available for storing at least a portion of a program.  
     
     
         10 . A system in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the VSM means is for tracking the memory locations of a plurality of portions P(i) of the program P.  
     
     
         11 . A system in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the VSM means is for at least one of: 
 (a) tracking which memory devices on the network are currently active in recording or playback;    (b) tracking which disks on the network are on-line and off-line;    (c) tracking the memory locations of previously stored programs;    (d) informing the user when a memory device holding at least a part of a program is off-line; and    (e) requesting the user to bring on-line a memory device that is off-line;    (f) informing a user before the total available on-line memory runs out;    (g) allowing the user to set a memory lower limit for the VSM logic to inform the user prior to running out of memory; and    (h) after informing the user of the memory lower limit condition, further providing the user of the option to erase previously stored programs in real time.    
     
     
         12 . A system in accordance with  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 an archival memory device in communication with the PVR; and    archival storage management (ASM) means for storing the program P on the archival memory device.    
     
     
         13 . A system in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the archival memory device comprises a DVD-R device.  
     
     
         14 . A system in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the first memory and the second memory each comprise a hard disk drive.  
     
     
         15 . A method of storing a television program P using a PVR having a first memory device, the method comprising: 
 identifying a second memory device that is not full on a network in communication with the PVR; and    storing at least a portion of the program in the second memory device.    
     
     
         16 . A method in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein said portion is one of i portions P(i), with i>1, and further comprising: 
 storing a first portion P 1  of the program P in the first memory device.    
     
     
         17 . A method in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein identifying comprises identifying j memory devices that are not full on a network in communication with the PVR, and further comprising sequentially storing a portion of the program P on a memory device of the j memory devices until the entire program has been stored.  
     
     
         18 . A method in accordance with  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 storing all portions of the program P on an archival memory device.    
     
     
         19 . A method of playing back a program P using a PVR, the program stored in at least two portions, each portion stored on a separate memory device, each memory device in communication with the PVR, at least one of the memory devices in communication with the PVR via a network, the method comprising: 
 playing back a first portion through at least the PVR; and    playing back a second portion through the network and through the PVR.

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